Is it really Michael Cole's fault?
 

I have gotten the impression that everything the announcers say is fed to them by script-writers and Vince. Am I wrong?

I just keep seeing people complain about Cole's horrible commentary and blaming Cole for it. I don't enjoy it either, but is he really at fault? Isn't that part of the reason why Joey Styles retired from commentary because he hated the style?

It is his fault, it's his delivery.

Watching 1999 and he is god-awful. The only time he was bearable was during his run with Tazz.

Since he turned heel hes the best commentator in the biznizz.

I love him.

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hes awful, ive lost count how many times ive wanted to mute raw

i understand hes on a script and a lot of it is being told what to say, but hes terrible with it, im embarassed to say we went to the same college for the same major

I'm a Cole Miner. Didn't mind him so much as a face announcer, he was just 'meh doing his job' kinda thing, but since his heel turn I really like him. I love how he always finds excuses to defend the heels, how he finds a cheap excuse to blame the face for something, his bickering with the other announcers, especially with Booker T and Josh Matthews on Smackdown, where I imagine they have a slightly more relaxed atmosphere, and his antics on the mic/in the ring.

You can blame his deliverence, his ability to stick to the match etc all you like, but at the end of the day, the guy is being fed lines and he's doing his job. He's a heel announcer, and right now he's a heat magnet. Job done.

He only bothers me when he bangs on about Twitter. Other than that I don't really have a problem. Find Lawler to be worse.

Also, that video posted above is glorious.

Pretty much this. Lawler's constant sucking up to the faces became incredibly stale quicker than John Cena matches.

Another thing I like about Coles character is that the guy has pretty much been hated on since he debuted with the company, both in real life and in kayfabe. This heel persona seems so natural for him to play now, it's like 'after ten years of taking shit from you, I'm still announcing Raw, Smackdown and monthly PPV's! So fuck you!'.

But yeah, the Twitter thing is kinda annoying. Especially coz I don't use Twitter.

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Not sure why everyone found that anal bleeding stuff funny. Seems on par with a poop joke to me.

Actually enjoyed his stuff with Taz,thought the two of them worked really well together,didnt mind his run with JBL either but everything else is usually terrible.

I dunno, when even WWE admits that he has been burying talent and then actually tones down his character you know there's at least a slight problem with his commentary.

Booker's reaction mainly. That was gold.

It's the way he says it with a dead straight face, yet you know he's saying it to be a prick. And of course Bookers and JR's reactions are awesome.

Preeeetty much.

Though I gotta say, I realised I've basically been tuning him out. I couldn't remember much of what he's said of late.

It's a habit I've picked up from years of shitty commentary.

Honestly, he just doesn't sound that bad, though.

I do think he has a great character but he has GOT TO STOP BURYING TALENT. Prime example of inspiration on how he should work would be Bobby Heenan at Bash 94...

He KNEW Hogan could beat Flair and was SCARED of the the outcome of the match. He still pulled for Flair but he KNEW what Hogan was capable of. He still played the heel but absolutely put Hogan over to WCW fans as superman.

Cole has got to stop personally buying talent. I'm not saying he is shooting, but his work comes off like a shoot which is not helping people get over.

At the same time, Daniel Bryan needs to fucking get it together.

What he needs is to not be paired with a super face commentator. When Lawler was a full out heel commentator Jim Ross was rather neutral, he'd give a heel credit when credit was due but call him out on his heel actions. Lawler cheers against the heels and cheers for the faces.

Most of the commentary is just the two of them arguing with each other. With Lawler and JR, JR would call the match and Lawler would make snarky asshole comments but they would do their job and call the march. It seems like Cole is doing his best to bury the face and Lawler is telling Cole why he is wrong, completely forgetting there is a match going on.

Yeah, Cole gets fed lines. Yeah, he's doing what he was told to do quite well.

That said, the fact they had their primary announcer constantly burying half the roster is a huge problem. I can't believe it took the WWE so long to figure out it was a bad fucking idea. It's good they toned him down, and right now he seems to be in a sweet spot.

I still miss traditional play by play though. I really hate when you listen to commentary and what's going on in the ring seems like a secondary concern.

If they're feeding him directions to sound like a whining jackass high school cunt, then no, it isn't his fault.

Also, NxT season 3 was the best show in wrestling the last decade, because of Punk and Cole taking the piss out of everything.

0:20 - end

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Shouldn't that increase his popularity with the smarks?

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That and the whole serious vibe to it was hilarious to me. I still don't know if he was actually supposed to be suffering from anal bleeding or if it was Cole being a dick. If it was Cole being a dick, the deadpan delivery was the greatest thing he's ever done.

I've been catching up on NXT over the past few days after only watching it here and there since season 3. It has by far the best commentary in wrestling. It always feels so laid back like they don't need to worry about the integrity of the product and they just have fun. So entertaining.

And William Regal is awesome. But everyone already knew that.

Lawler is worse because I don't think he and Cole work together well.

Bottom line, it's all down to Vince at the end of the day.

That's the same reason I don't take issue with Cena's no-selling antics. Yeah, they're frustrating but it's up to those in charge to correct behaviour like that. Same with Cole. If his work is damaging the product it's up to Vince to curb it.

Regardless of what is fed into the headsets, like posters before me have said, it is all about delivery.

I have literally changed the channel because of how shit comes out of his mouth. That's not heat, that's a terrible performance.

/Cockeny accent/ E's a faacking caaant /Cockney accent/

He is terrible. He has no idea how to call a big moment. There are so many moments in wrestling history that were made better and felt bigger because of the commentating around it.

Cole has no talent for it.

TONY SCHIAVONE better sold the talent and the in ring action better than Cole has in some time it seemed. Cole plays a heel and negates his responsibilities as a commentator. Those being to provide play by play of the on going match, sell the angles and put talent over or under. In the last case he simply burries talent.

It seems to be noticable that in the past week or two he has began to improve and tone down or improve the 'heelness' he has used, as a possible crutch, for so long.

Cole would be an excellent color commentator to a McMahon-like play-by-play guy.

Changing the channel is awesome heat.

Wait, we're talking about someone NOT IWC approved?

Changing the channel is terrible.

Cole being told what to say is not his fault, delivering it in a way that tells the entire viewing audience they should tune out because wrestler x sucks is his fault. You can be a whining heel that cowardly supports the bad guys without completely dismantling any credibility the faces have. Daniel Bryan is the perfect example of what NOT to do as commentator

They don't like to have the mirror held up to them.

Wut.

Schiavone was wack, he said every single thing was the greatest moment in wrestling history.

I get selling a moment, but even the most dense of fan would know Buff Bagwell vs David Flair is not match of the century.

Cole is awesome.

Lawler needs to take some of the blame considering he's barely helped out and still doesn't mesh well with Cole in the booth unlike JBL or Josh Matthews who became great pairings for Cole. Cole turning heel and becoming the messenger for the anonymous GM was the best thing for him since at least now Lawler has some real motivation to interact with Cole than barely doing nothing before.

Cole's biggest problem is how easily he goes overboard to the point of becoming annoying especially when its carrying over to every match and feud. It made sense why he loves the Miz and hates Bryan since NXT developed those reasons but everything else he doesn't have a real reason to trash (ex. Ryder) or continue support certain wrestlers (ex. Cena even though Cole is a heel).

Cole is awesome. The IWC just hates him because he makes fun of their jerk off material. Punk does the exact same thing as Cole does to the heels.

:nono: Are we really doing the "Cole does the same thing as Punk" thing again?